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Whether they're conducting ops in jungles, deserts, rivers, or urban centers...afoot, at sea, or in the air...we still call them Marines. I see no reason to spacify it just because we've added a new theater of operations. Based on the Marines I know, I doubt they'd think very highly of such a name, anyway.

Whether they're conducting ops in jungles, deserts, rivers, or urban centers...afoot, at sea, or in the air...we still call them Marines.

I think in the UK we'd call them Commandos, or perhaps Marine Commandos, in those roles. The Royal Marines nowadays have an "amphibious and commando" remit, but historically the Commandos came from all branches of the service.

"Space commandos" - spacesuits and no underwear? Maybe not.

Maybe we'd follow the line of descent from the original Commando regiments to the UK's Parachute Regiment, Special Air Service and Special Boat Service and call them the Special Space Service.

I think in the UK we'd call them Commandos, or perhaps Marine Commandos, in those roles.

Rank and file U.S. Marines could be tasked with the roles I mentioned and/or they could involve specialties like Force Recon or the MARSOC Raiders. It just depends on the mission. But they're all still Marines, once and always. However, the latter example of special forces does raise a groan worthy possibility: Space Raiders. Nah, I'm pretty sure no self respecting Marine would go for that, either.

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Marines are just soldiers based on ships. If they aren't based on ships they shouldn't be Marines.

They’re frequently marines because of history. I can think of a few marine corps: US, UK, Taiwan, South Korea, Netherlands, and a number of similar forces with different names, like the San Marco Brigade.

Information about American English usage here and here. Floating point issues? Please read this before posting.

Speak to me of summer
Long winters longer than time can remember
Setting up of other roads
To travel on in old accustomed ways
I still remember the talks by the water
The proud sons and daughters
That in the knowledge of the land
Spoke to me in sweet accustomed ways

I was a Specialist Fifth Class. Once in a while someone would call me "Sarge". I thought, but didn't say, "Don't call me Sarge, I work for a living."

That was something I never fully got. I could be (and was) both a specialist and a Sergeant. In fact, the basic USAF enlisted job titles were typically Something-Something-Something Specialist, with the "Specialist" part being replaced later with something like "Technician" or "Craftsman" as one progressed through skill levels. I started off as a 322X2B - Avionic Sensor Systems Specialist, Tactical Real-Time Displays, Electro-Optical.

They’re frequently marines because of history. I can think of a few marine corps: US, UK, Taiwan, South Korea, Netherlands, and a number of similar forces with different names, like the San Marco Brigade.

And the Marines are part of the Navy so I suppose they could be sailors who wear big hats and boots.

That was something I never fully got. I could be (and was) both a specialist and a Sergeant. In fact, the basic USAF enlisted job titles were typically Something-Something-Something Specialist, with the "Specialist" part being replaced later with something like "Technician" or "Craftsman" as one progressed through skill levels. I started off as a 322X2B - Avionic Sensor Systems Specialist, Tactical Real-Time Displays, Electro-Optical.

In the US Army of 45 years ago, the middle enlisted pay grades were on a dual track system, one for "Specialists" and the other for NCO's. NCO's were generally considered to have some sort of authority over others, specialists did not. Nearly all E-4's were Specialists 4th class, almost none were Corporals. E-5 was about equally divided between Specialist 5 and "Buck" Sergeant. Most E-6's were Staff Sergeants. You could theoretically be a Specialist 7, I think, but I certainly never met one.
Today's Army has done away with that and the only Specialists are E-4's.

My recollection is that in the USAF at that time, E-4's were Sergeants.

My recollection is that in the USAF at that time, E-4's were Sergeants.

Yes and no. For many years, the USAF E-4 pay grade was meant to serve as a transition from junior enlisted to non-commissioned officer status. Initial promotion to E-4 was with the rank of Senior Airman (abbr: SrA). After serving one year as a SrA and with the supervisor's recommendation, one was appointed to NCO status with the rank of Sergeant...aka, "buck sergeant". A sore spot was that this increase in responsibility came with no increase in pay. The rank of Sergeant was discontinued in the early '90s and thereafter, Senior Airmen tested for promotion to the first NCO grade, Staff Sergeant (E-5).

Originally Posted by SkepticJ

The term you're searching for is Space Ranger.

By history and tradition, I think that would be more appropriate for the U.S. Army, rather than the USMC. A quick Wikilook suggests that the term "ranger" isn't common in the Marines (or equivalent) of other countries, either.

As much as I like the name ¨Space Marine¨ and enjoy books and movies about them, I have a feeling that real marines in space would be much less of a combat asset than a control/function person. Space ships are hideously complex, and having a special group to oversee/guard/support operations would be kind of important. If the Marines morphed into that, it would be interesting. How hands on that job would be is really up in the air (space).

The way you translated it, Google used the meaning of "marine" as in "marine biology". So the adjective form of sea.

When my brothers and I were younger, we frequently visited Long Island's Atlantis Marine World Aquarium (now the Long Island Aquarium), so they became familiar with that meaning of "marine". While watching a TV show that mentioned "marines", my little brother P. therefore quite sensibly told me that "Marines are people who work at aquariums."

As much as I like the name ¨Space Marine¨ and enjoy books and movies about them, I have a feeling that real marines in space would be much less of a combat asset than a control/function person. Space ships are hideously complex, and having a special group to oversee/guard/support operations would be kind of important. If the Marines morphed into that, it would be interesting. How hands on that job would be is really up in the air (space).

Part -- a small part -- of the reason marines were on ship were to guard officer country, but the real reasons were a) shooting at the seaman handling the sails and rigging and the deck officers <added in edit>of enemy ships </added in edit> b) boarding parties and c) landing parties.

During the imperialistic era, that last became most important.

Last edited by swampyankee; 2018-Feb-09 at 03:27 AM.

Information about American English usage here and here. Floating point issues? Please read this before posting.

I had to read that a few times. This is shooting at the seamen and officers on another, enemy ship. Yes?

I hope so too. I guess the other possibility is that it was to encourage their own men to work faster. Kind of like how an Australian friend told me that they are good at Olympic swimming because they put crocodiles into the school swimming pools.